The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-08
STRANGER THAN FICTION.
One of the Most Remarkable Complications
of the Days OF Slavery.

One of the Most Remarkable Complications
of the Days OF Slavery.
Memphis Avalanche.
''The story which, with your permission
am going to relate, had real men and women for
actors. and is known to all the old time resi-
dents in and around Louisville. It presents one
of the most remarkable complications of old
slavery times that ever came within my knowl-
edge and am not over young.
Fifteen or twenty years before the breaking
out of our late civil war young girl in her
teens came up from Louisiana and settled in
Louisville. giving the name OF Lizzie Carlton.
Nothing more was known of her than that she
was accompanied by young man who was, or
who pretended be, deaf and dumb
and who, after aiding her to secure a
situation with Mrs. Williams, mil
liner and dress-maker on Fourth street.
returned at once southwark by river. Lizzie
was handsome brunette with a wealth of raven
hair which almost swept the floor, bright
pressive eyes, and altogether genteel and dgni-
fed in her general appearance. Her ladylike
department and strict attention to the interests
of her employer soon made her superintendent
of the establishment Social barriers were not
SO stubborn then as now. and hence the young
and beautiful stranger soon received into
| the best society, forming number OF friends
| outside her regular business patrons, among
others Mrs E., prominent member of the
| Baptist Church, at whose house the dark eyed
attached herself to that church, becom-
| ing a most exemplary member During
| her visits to Mrs. E. our heroine
met Philip S., himself one of the pillars of the
| church. who, after living in single blessedness
| for years, enjoying all alone his wealth and fam
| lily station, soon conceived a tender sentiment
| for the young and beautiful sister. 1t was not
| long after the match makers put their heads to-
| gether till Philip and Lizzie were made one.
| The marriage ceremony took place at the Bap-
fist Church then standing on the southwest cor
| ner of Fifth and Green, the Rev. Mr.. Buck
| officiating and many old-timers living to this
/ Ill .ls H. So L.
| give them After the ceremony the bride and
groom and their friends repaired to Mr.. S. g res
idence. about ter miles from Louisville. on the
Bardstown pike where the usual wedding fes-
| tivities were enjoyed.
! 1.-THE honeymoon with other moons dripping
with honey sweeter than the honeycomb. waxed
| and waned. The old bachelor happy in the
new world that dawned before him; the young
| wife, with her back upon the past and its mem
cries. even forgetting that she had been a
hard-worked mllliner in the struggle for bread.
'Alas, that ever mans avarice and brutality
should break in to mar and destroy scene OF
| happiness like this About sunset one afternoon
the door-bell rang: Lizzie -, now Mrs. s..
left her husbands bedside the was confined to
his room by slight illness at the time). ar
ranged her toilet, and descended to the parlor.
Zone piercing scream that startled the echoes
| aroused Mr.. S., who rushed downstairs. What
was his astonishment and dismay to find his
bride fainting the floor, and strange gentle
man, attended by a uniformed policeman,
standing over her.
"'Sir' said the stranger this woman is my
slave. Her name is Nell da Cass. / am q
Louisiana planter; here is the bill of sale. I
bought her few months before she escaped
from my home, and have been on her track
ever since, and now she must return with me-
''The distress Of the unfortunate couple drew
about them at once q large concourse OF their
friends who were as much at a loss what to ad-
wise in the midst of these strange revelations as
were the two most deeply concerned. The hus-
band. after the first paroxysm of his grief and
modification. vowed eternal fidelity to his wife,
bond or free, and with the assistance of Deacon
E.. Rev. Mr.. Buck and others, it WAS arranged
that, in order to quiet matters, the Louisiana
planter should be Identified for the loss of his
slave: and little party of friends met together
at the Gait House. where the Louisianiar
was paid 500 for compensation and returned
home"
And this ends this strange, eventful history9
asked the reporter.
''By no means. The worst is to come Mr. S
being man easily influenced by his stronger
minded relatives was so beset by his uncles, hi
cousins his sisters and his aunts that he turned
his young bride out of doors. They could no
tolerate even single drop of negro blood, how
ever concealed by fair exterior The poo
deserted wife went heartbroken from place t
place in the capacity of a seamstress. and sool
gave birth to a son. She managed to supper
herself and child and bear up bravely under al
her misfortunes until Mr.. S. married another
This was than she could Withstand, and
taking to her bed. she was kindly attended b.
the Sisters of Charity and few Baptist sisters
in Louisville until she died of broken heart.
ibid she really have negro blood 10 her veins!
THAT is the question Mr. E. went South
get a true statement of her history. but the n
ports there as conflicting as elsewhere
lizzie Carlton persisted with her dying breat
that she was of pure Caucasian blood. a IRE
: woman by birth. She related that her mothe
a Portuguese. on reaching this country, being
. dark brunette, formed the acquaintance of
wealthy planter in New Orleans, who became
infatuated that he took her to his home, and
/, conceal his purpose from his wife passed RI
woman off as a slave-her complexion enabliI
her TO pass for light mulatro. Lizzie was Il
offspring of this illicit strategy. and the plante
dying suddenly and without disclosing the TT,
character of his mistress who also died 500
after. Lizzie, quite child. descended to q
heirs with the other property The estate W
Q left involved, and Lizzie sold on the olo
y to the planter who afterward pursued her
d Louisville She further explained that q
young man who fled with her to Louisville W
q her half brotner--the son of her mothers sed